We’ve all seen our pets employ methods that are uncannily similar to the sly, stealthy modus operandi of our favourite sleuths such as James Bond or Philip Marlowe in their attempt to help themselves to seconds. Maybe, from the interests of our own self-preservation, we shouldn’t have underestimated their ability to process the tips on display when we shared the couch with them for a couple of hours of block-busting fun.But real animals as real spies?

We know that it takes a lot of responsibility to take care of an unconventional pet, and there are a lot of risks associated with it, but ownership of exotic pets is still on the rise. Owning reptiles, large cats, and even chimpanzees requires a lot of effort, and must be thought out carefully. This is because you may not just be putting your life at risk by keeping a dangerous pet, but endangering its life as well.

Any pet owner would understand the feeling one has when their beloved pet dies. The inexplicable grief, the overwhelming sadness, the emptiness within and maybe even regret that they could not save them. Researchers have associated the reaction and feelings a person experiences similar to when a human family member dies. The sense of loss could even be more pronounced for people who live alone and rely on their pet for companionship. As more and more people adopt pets, the argument over whether owners should be given compassionate/bereavement leave if their pet dies has steadily gained strength.

You didn't read the title wrong. A tortoise did indeed beat a rabbit in a ski-off. Although this tortoise did not perform this impressive feat alone. It was accompanied by its faithful owner. This bizarre ski competition for pet enthusiasts took place at Senmenaxia which is in the Henan province of China.

The Pygmy Jerboa is highly popular in social media this week with sites such as Buzzfeed, Cute Overload and Youtube flooded with videos and pictures of this appealing speciman. This peculiar looking desert rodent looks highly irregular, what with its kangaroo feet it uses to hop around, its sweet hamster like face equipped with a devilish moustache to boot.

Today marks the annual celebration of Halloween in a variety of Western European countries and the US, and it is increasingly becoming a popular holiday in Australia. On October 31, numerous kids (and keen adults) don scary outfits and comb their neighbourhood seeking treats (or causing tricks). However, at this time of year the unpopularity of the black cat is at its peak. A variety of dated superstitions abound about the black cat such as them being associated with evil spirits or they bringing 'bad luck'. It is no lie that these poor felines are categorised as being the least liked to be adopted in comparison to other cats and can even be prone to torture or abuse by cults or people who buy into these wrongful tales. We take a short look into the negative superstitions surrounding black cats and efforts made to improve their popularity in today's world.